The People's Republic of China (PRC) is formally a multi-party state under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CCP) in a United Front similar to the popular fronts of former Communist-era Eastern European countries such as the National Front of Democratic Germany.
Under the one country, two systems scheme, the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, which were previously colonies of European powers, operate under a different political system to the rest of the PRC. Currently, both Hong Kong and Macau possess multi-party systems.[1]
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Relationships with the Communist Party
The dominance over the political system is such that China is effectively a single-party state. This means that only one political party, the CCP, holds effective power at the national level. Eight minor parties also participate in the political system under the leadership of the dominant party. The PRC political system allows for the participation of some non-party members and minor parties in the National People's Congress (NPC), but they are vetted by the CCP.
Although opposition parties are not formally banned in mainland China (the PRC), the CCP maintains control over the political system in several ways.
Firstly, the PRC political system is composed of a series of indirect elections in which one people's congress appoints the members of the next higher congress, and in which only the lowest people's congresses are subject to direct popular vote. This means that although independent members can theoretically, and occasionally in practice, get elected to the lowest level of congress, it is impossible for them to organize to the point where they can elect members to the next higher people's congress without the approval of the CCP or to exercise oversight over executive positions at the lowest level in the hierarchy. This lack of effective power also discourages outsiders from contesting the people's congress elections even at the lowest level.
Second, although PRC law has no formal provision for banning a non-religious organization, it also has no provision which would give non-CCP political parties any corporate status. This means that a hypothetical opposition party would have no legal means to collect funds or own property in the name of the party. More importantly, PRC law also has a wide range of offenses which can and have been used against the leaders of efforts to form an opposition party such as the China Democracy Party and against members of organizations that the CCP sees as threatening its power.[2][3] These include the crimes of subversion, sedition, and releasing state secrets. Moreover, the control that the Party has over the legislative and judicial processes means that the Party can author legislation that targets a particular group.
The parties
- Communist Party of China (Zhongguo Gongchan Dang) More than 70 million members,
- The eight registered minor parties under CCP's direction:
- Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang (Zhongguo Guomindang Geming Weiyuanhui). Formed by leftist members of the Kuomintang (KMT) who did not escape to Taiwan. 82,000 members. It is considered "second" in status to the Communist Party of China. Thus it has 30% of the seats in the People's Political Consultative Conference.
- China Democratic League (Zhongguo Minzhu Tongmeng). Originally a league of pro-democracy parties. Formed by 144,000 members, mainly middle-level and senior intellectuals.
- China Democratic National Construction Association (Zhongguo Minzhu Jianguo Hui). Entrepreneurs from the manufacturing, financial or commercial industries, in both private and state sectors.
- China Association for Promoting Democracy (Zhongguo Minzhu Cujin Hui). Intellectuals, mostly in the education, technology and publishing sectors. Some 117,500 members.
- Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party (Zhongguo Nonggong Minzhu Dang). Most of its 65,000 members work in the fields of public health, culture and education, science and technology.
- China Zhi Gong Party (Zhongguo Zhi Gong Dang). Returned overseas Chinese, relatives of overseas Chinese, and noted figures and scholars who have overseas ties.
- September 3 Society (Jiu San Xueshe). Most of its 68,000 members are high- and medium level intellectuals in the fields of science, technology, education, culture and medicine.
- Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (Taiwan Minzhu Zizhi Tongmeng). 1,600 people, most of whom are prominent people that are from Taiwan or are of Taiwanese heritage, but now reside on the Mainland.
Actively suppressed political parties
The following parties are ones which have been and are currently still being actively suppressed in the People's Republic of China. Due to the censorship and suppression, they most likely have their headquarters outside of the Chinese mainland:
- The China Democracy Party was founded by participants of the 1978 Chinese Democracy Wall Movement and the 1989 Democracy Movement. It was made illegal in 1998 by the CCP on mainland soil.[2][3]
- The China New Democracy Party was founded by Mr. Guo Quan in Nanjing at the end of 2007.[2][3]
Parties not officially recognized
The following organisations proclaim themselves to be political parties, but are not registered parties. They may not have their headquarters in mainland China, and may or may not be actively suppressed by the Chinese government. The actual membership size and level of support for these organisations are difficult to gauge.
- Party for Freedom and Democracy in China
- Union of Chinese Nationalists (UOCN) (Traditional Chinese:中國泛藍聯盟) aspires to the ideals of the pan-Blue coalition in the Republic of China on Taiwan. As such, its values including liberal democracy and the Three Principles of the People. The group has only an online presence and originated in an internet forum discussion in August, 2004.
- China/Chinese Green Party
- Human Rights Party A political party formed to improve the human rights of China.
- Chinese Democracy and Justice Party (Traditional Chinese:中國民主正義黨) founded in 1998 by Wang Bingzhang, a pro-democracy party in China.
See also
- Chinese political parties
- Index of political parties to browse parties by name
- List of political parties to browse parties by country
- List of political parties by ideology to browse parties by name
- Membership of internationals to browse parties By membership of internationals
- List of political parties in the Republic of China before and after 1949
- List of political parties in Hong Kong
- List of political parties in Macau
- List of political parties
References
- ^ Buckley, Roger. (1997) Hong Kong: The Road to 1997. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521469791
- ^ a b c Gittings, John. The Changing Face of China: From Mao to Market. (2005). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192806122
- ^ a b c Goldsmith, Jack L. Wu, Tim. 2006). Who Controls the Internet?: Illusions of Borderless World. Oxford University Press. ISBN 01895152662
External links
- List of Democratic Parties - People's Daily
- Profile of Democratic Parties - Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
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